EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27112, 21 June 1949, Page 4

EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

FROM THE FILES OF THS

!©tafio 2)afl\> Himes

DUNEDIN, JUNE 21, 3-864

Several new vessels for the colonial trade have arrived during the month, the most valuable the Tasmanian Company’s steamer Southern Cross and the New Zealand Steam Company’s new steamer, Wellington, both of which are spoken of as notable additions to the colonial fleet. In the province numerous small-sized vessels have recently been launched, among others being a fine schooner of considerable tonnage, built at Harding’s Bay by Mr David Curie. Except for her masts and spars, vvhich are those which belonged to the schooner St. Kilda, the vessel is built entirely of native timber, cut on the ground in the neighbourhood of the building yard: .and, besides being the largest, the vessel is, in mould and finish, the most creditable production of the ship-carpentry which has as yet been built in Otago.

A report on the Dunedin labour market states: —The Dunedin labour market is still sadly deficient in the supply of good female servants. Employers are willing to give good wages if they can get efficient labour, but, good or bad, servants are scarce, and the bad predominate. We have now come to the very dregs, as it were, of our immigrants, and a new importation will be welcomed on .all sides. Good cooks for private families have been geting £1 a week; good general servants, £4O per annum; housemaids, ,-£;35; nursemaids, £3O: little house girls. 8s to 10s per week; cooks for hotels (female) £2, (men) £3 10s to £4; waiters, 30s; waitresses, 255; barmaids (in the country). £2 to £4 10s; married couples, £75 to £IOO with rations, £l2O to £l5O without; gardeners, £2 10s per week; bullock drivers 355; shepherds. £6O to £BO per annum; ploughmen, £1 to 30s per week; milk boys. £3O per annum; stone breakers, 4s 6d per square yard.

A very important discovery of coal ha! been made in the Nelson province. The Examiner of the 9th inst. says: “We purposely abstained from giving unusual prominence to a rumour, which had obtained currency in the town, to the effect that a seam of coal, five/feet six inches thick, had been discovered at Pakawau. Since then, ne.ws of a reliable character has reached us from Pakawau which sets the question at rest. A seam of coal of the thickness indicated has been discovered there, and we heartily congratulate Mr Charles Wiesenhavern Ki the felicitous results of his ardu*hs labours during so many months past We understand that there is every reason to believe that the coal ■jiist discovered is of a similar descriplion to that found at the Grey and the Buller, and th?t still thicker seams will be found at a greater depth.